1.1 Figures and Bars

Figures and Bars
Rhythm: Notation and theory
Figures and proportions

We draw the notes in different shapes to represent the variation in the duration of the sounds. The regular
groupings of sounds form structures called bars. The most commonly used rhythm figures are semibreve (whole note), minim
(half note), crotchet (quarter note), quaver (eighth note), semiquaver (sixteenth note) and demisemiquaver (thirty-second
note).
Imagine a watermelon cut in half each time, generating new sizes. Cut once, we get halves. Cutting it once more,
we have quarters, and cutting it again, we have eight parts. The division of figures follows the same principle.
Bars
Bars are rhythmic groupings that form cyclical effects. In the score, they are divisions that mark the characteristic
accents of rhythmic repetition, which cause the sensation of cycles. In the score, bars are delimited by “time signature”.
Time Signature
• The time signature defines the rhythmic grouping.
• The denominator indicates the division of the whole note and what figure corresponds to one beat
• The numerator shows how many parts of the division we want in each bar (how many beats per bar)
How many parts of the division; How many beats per bar (“How many?”)
Division of the whole note; which figure corresponds to one beat (“Which figure?”)
In this example, we divide the semibreve into 4 parts (which results in 4 quarter notes) and use 4 parts in each
bar (4 quarter notes). This means that there are 4 quarter notes (or 2 minims, or 1 whole note, or 8 eighth notes...). Example:
Changing the denominator, we have other possibilities:
In this second example, we divide a whole note into 2 parts (denominator) and decide to put 4 parts in each bar.
That is, we divided it into half notes and decided to put 4 half notes in each bar, equaling 2 whole notes and 16 eighth
notes.
How do we count beats?

The numeratorr also indicates how many beats we count in each bar. The denominator, on the other hand,
indicating the division of the whole note, automatically also shows which figure values one beat. By dividing the whole note
into some unit, we decide which figure is the one from which we count the beats. That is, if we divide the semibreve into 4
parts (denominator), obtaining 4 quarter notes, we choose to write the music from the quarter note, determining that it is
the figure that corresponds to one beat. In the same way, if we divide the quarter note into 2 parts, we decide to count
from the minim. Then, the numerator indicates how many of these beats we will place in each bar. If the top number is 4,
we count 1 2 3 4. If it is 3, we count 1 2 3 3 and so on. Exemples:
Some figures alone can fill an entire bar. These figures are the unit of measure. Furthermore, we know that there
are figures with values smaller than the quarter note and the half note. Consequently, we will deal with values smaller than
1 time, creating subdivisions. In counting, we can indicate the subdivisions of the times with "and". That is, "1and, 2and,
3and, 4and". If we divide the times into two parts, we have simple meter and if we divide the beats into three parts, we
have compound meters. Because of this, in simple meter, the numerators of the time signature formula are always divisible
by two (we use 1, 2, 3, and 4), and in compound meter the denominators of the formula are always divisible by three (we
use 6, 9, and 12). Examples:
Exercise
Write bars filled with equal notes, as in the examples, using different time signatures. Always use 2 and 4 in the
numerator. Use 2, 4, 8, and 16 in the denominator.
The 3-Beat Bar and Dotted Notes

Each figure is always twice or half the value of another, however, this relationship does not include sounds that
last one and a half times the value of any figure, or, we have not yet seen any representation of a sound that lasts three
beats in a bar. For that, we need dotted notes. Dotted notes value one and a half times their original duration.
For example, a minim is equivalent to two quarter notes; a dotted minim is equivalent to three quarter notes. This
is because the dot adds to the minim half of its value, which is one quarter note. So, besides the two quarter notes, it also
receives the value of a third through the dot:
It i salso applied to other figures:
So, if in a 4/4 time signature the quarter note corresponds to 1 beat and the half note corresponds to 2 beats,
the dotted half note corresponds to 3 beats (since it is equivalent to 3 quarter notes). Thus, we also get the time signature
units for ternary bars. Examples:
Exercise
Write bars filled with equal notes, as in the examples using different time signatures. Use the numbers 2, 3, and
4 in the numerator and 2, 4, 8, and 16 in the denominator. Then, write bars with these same time signatures with different
figures in the same bar (quarter notes with quarter notes; quarter notes with eighth notes etc.).
Simple Meter
We call simple meter those bars whose beat division is binary, or rather, each beat unit has its duration determined
by the denominator of the formula. This means that each beat is formed by two parts. In compound meter this works
differently; the beats are divided into three parts. We deal with these bars in the same way, only the rhythmic feel
changes. The numerators of the simple meter time signatures are 2, 3 and 4. Examples:
Suggested exercises
Other time signatures
1. Analyze the bars of scores that have a simple meter time signature
formula, placing the timing count.
2. Write bars in the formulas given in the previous example and put the
time count.
Compound meter
As we have already seen, the characteristic of compound meters is that the beat unit is divided into three parts.
This makes the beat unit of these bars always a punctuated figure since it is formed by the sum of three equal minor figures.
For example, if we add three eighth notes, we have a punctuated quarter note - which will be the beat unit.
Compound meter bars are also binary, ternary, or quaternary. The difference is that we cannot use the numbers
2, 3, and 4 in the formula, since they represent simple meter bars. So, the number that goes into the formula represents the
subdivision (ternary) of the beats. For example, a compound binary bar has in the numerator the number 6, because
dividing the two beats into three parts gives six parts. Thus, the numerator of a compound bar indicates one beat parts,
and not the beats as in a simple bar.
At the beginning, we studied that the bottom number of the formula shows how many parts we divide the semibreve
into, and that the top number shows how many of these parts we want in each bar. The time signature formula works
exactly with this information. For example, a 6/8-time signature formula assumes that we divide the half note into eight
parts (getting eight eighth notes), and that of those eight parts we want six in each bar. Thus, a whole bar is filled with six
eighth notes. But these six eighth notes are not six beats, but a three-part division of each beat. So, by grouping them into
three, we find that this bar has two beats and that the time unit is the punctuated quarter note. Example:
In the compound meter, beats are divided into three parts, so let's group the eighth notes into three. Each group
forms a beat. We have two groups, so we have two beats per bar - compound binary time. The dotted quarter note (sum
of three eighth notes) is the beat unit, and the dotted minim (sum of six eighth notes, or two dotted quarter notes) is the
time signature.
Then, simply multiply the numerators of the simple bars by 3 to find their compound versions. That is, the compound
binary has the numerator 6, the compound ternary has the numerator 9, and the compound quartet has the numerator 12.
Examples:
Suggested exercises:
1. Analyze the bars of scores that have compound time signature formulas, placing the timing count.
2. Write bars in the formulas given in the previous examples and put the time count.

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Figures and Bars

Rhythm: Notation and theory

Figures and proportions

Changing the denominator, we have other possibilities:

How do we count beats?

The 3-Beat Bar and Dotted Notes

It i salso applied to other figures:

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